The present application pertains to the art of cutting and redefining ditches. The invention finds particular application in cleaning and maintaining roadside drainage ditches and will be described in reference thereto. However, the invention also finds application in other equipment for ditching, trenching, or otherwise cutting or moving soil.
Heretofore, ditching apparatus have included a tractor or other prime mover which provided propulsion along the roadway. An arm assembly extended from the tractor over any intermediate guardrails or the like to position a ditching head along the low point of a drainage ditch. The ditching head included a blade supporting member which was rotated transverse to the direction of travel. A plurality of blades were mounted on brackets extending from the leading face of the rotating support. The leading edge of the blades engaged the dirt and debris in the trench and impelled them tangentially outward. The leading edge of the blade, particularly the portion of the edge disposed toward the radially outward most end, received the brunt of the wear and abuse.
One of the problems with the prior art ditching apparatus is that frequent blade replacement was required. Complete blade replacement was commonly required when wear adjacent the outermost leading corner became excessive.
The present invention provides new and improved reversible ditching blades for ditching apparatus.